Make sure you are only doing one long run per week and gently increase the distance over time, with the extra being within 10% of your weekly total. Some people can ramp up distance quicker than others, but there is no need to rush and consolidating after increasing for a few weeks is reckoned to be better than relentlessly increasing each and every week. You might even experiment with reducing one or two of your weekly runs. The most important thing is not to rush it, or the IC awaits!!

Make sure that you slow down, especially on your longest run of the week.

Another piece of advice I read once was that someone always added the extra bit of the run onto the beginning so that when they were tiring near the end, they would see a familiar landmark and think "oh, I know I can run to the finish point now".

Also, don't be hard on yourself if you've had some hot weather and are finding it hard going. It's very draining. If it's hot and you're managing to consolidate running 5k, that's no bad thing. Once it cools down you'll probably find it easier.

Everybody is different, but it could be that you need to drink more before you leave or sip some water on the way round.

Keep working on the strength of your leg and core muscles on days when you're not running.

buddy this is my experience I completed couch to 5k in April and found like you I couldn't increase my distance beyond approx. 5.5k for months after. Sometimes I struggled to complete the 3k. I was advised it takes time to really consolidate that 5k distance and was encouraged not to beat myself up and carry on. This is what I did and then seemingly out of nowhere a week ago I knew I could run further, it was the way my body responded to my running that gave me the clue. In that week I did a 7.2 a 9.2'and a 5.

this week I did two 5k and last night my fist 10 k. My advice is keep at it enjoy the fact you are running and watch how you body adapts to 5k and build from there.

Thanks for the advice I think I was just expecting that I would get better further quicker than I am because I am doing it often,if you get what I mean. I think as you have said its about being able to continually be able to do the distance I am currently doing and expand on that slowly.

There is some great advice here already. You could introduce a 3rd short run a week and work on slowly increasing the long run... Also worth generally increasing your activity by walking lots etc as this will really help too. Well done, you are doing well and it's great that you are looking for a goal and focus as people commonly lose their way a bit after the programme 😎

Strength training for the legs is the way to go! Running long distance is more about the mind than the stamina. Go slow and slowly increase the distance. Squats with weights or plain simple squats on no run days will really help.

It'll come! Just keep plugging away. Patience really is a virtue with this running lark. I found that the slow climbing of hills really helped me. This was well after graduation though. My physio told me to do some uphill work to take the pressure off my shins 😊 This was when I had a dratted shin splint. Faced with a long, steep hill or indeed a short steep,one, you have no option but to climb it slowly. As you do hills regularly your puff gets much better and you will start to reveal your abs! Yay! 😃